Cow health
Health, welfare and longevity of the herd can be improved using tailored nutrition. Using vitamin supplementation reduces mastitis and lameness cases.
Last updated on March 24th, 2023
In collaboration with DSM
Why does it matter?
A lack of vitamins in a cow’s diet can lead to higher incidence of mastitis and lameness cases. Providing the herd with the right amount of high-quality vitamins and adjusting the levels to the cow’s life stage, improves cow health, welfare and longevity.
How did we solve this?
To develop a vitamin supplementation plan, we first checked the current vitamin level in the feed. Using this information we determined which vitamins were required for supplementation with the help of on-farm diagnostic tools (e.g. iCheck for Beta Carotene and Vitamin E). After the diagnostic phase, 2.000 mg of Vitamin E and 20 mg biotin were added to each cow’s feed per day. The vitamin levels in the animal feed were then monitored regularly and adapted based on the live and lactation stage.
Six months after adopting the tailored vitamin supplementation plan, the percentage of mastitis cases on farm decreased by 30% on average. The incidence of lameness cases declined significantly, from 187 to 74 cases. The milk yield also reached 600 kg/solids/cow/year.
Opportunities for other farms?
This solution can be implemented on farms that face issues with mastitis and lameness, or on farms that want to improve cow health and welfare. This solution should be combined with other actions to prevent mastitis or lameness cases (e.g. milking hygiene, clean housing, etc.).
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